Mr. A. Ward Ford

SYRACUSE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seventh graph, second sentence should read: Robert McDevitt's mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, founder of a company that ultimately became part of IBM, and Robert had accumulated IBM shares over many decades. (sted Robert McDevitt's mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, founding president of IBM, and Robert had accumulated company shares over many decades.)
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SYRACUSE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seventh graph, second sentence should read: Robert McDevitt's mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, founder of a company that ultimately became part of IBM, and Robert had accumulated IBM shares over many decades. (sted Robert McDevitt's mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, founding president of IBM, and Robert had accumulated company shares over many decades.)
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Robert McDevitt's mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, founder of a company that ultimately became part of IBM, and Robert had accumulated IBM shares over many decades.

Mcdevitt's mother was the secretary to A. Ward Ford, the founding president of IBM.

Robert's mother Mary was secretary to A. Ward Ford, the first president of IBM.

His mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, president of the company that eventually became IBM. She bought IBM stock early in the company's history and gave the stock to McDevitt, who spent 70 years accumulating additional shares. The majority of the bequests he left will be paid in IBM stock.

Mr. Ford was educated at the Mercersburg Academy and Princeton University. Over the course of his life, he served IBM in various capacities and was also engaged in a number of independent business enterprises in St. Louis and Florida. For many years and until the time of his death, he was a member of the Board of Directors of IBM.

Mr. Ford established The Edward E. Ford Foundation with a relatively small gift in 1957, but the Foundation really commenced operation some three years later when he transferred a much more substantial amount of property to it, rounded out its Board by the appointment of several additional members, and began to work actively with the Board to develop a program directed towards his major objective of improving the quality of secondary schooling focusing exclusively on independent education.

Mr. Ford's active participation was abruptly terminated by his unexpected death on March 6,1963. By terms of his will, a major portion of his entire fortune passed to the Foundation.

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Learn more about the history of the Grant

Learn more about Mercersburg, the school Mr. Ford attended

Robert McDevitt's mother was secretary to A. Ward Ford, founding president of IBM; the majority of the gift will be in IBM stock.